The present invention relates to energy absorbing automotive instrument panels.
More plastics are being used in automobile applications to reduce the cost and weight of the vehicle, and to take advantage of the stylistic freedoms provided by the material. Engineering plastics have the advantages of high strength, high temperature resistance and moldability. However, the strength characteristics of an engineered plastic instrument panel in a crash could cause a problem. After absorbing energy from the vehicle occupants impacting the dash during a crash, the deformed instrument panel can fling back the vehicle passengers resulting in injuries even though the passengers are restrained by seat belts. Metal dashboards permanently deform when absorbing energy during impact. It is difficult, however, to design a plastic dashboard to permanently deform while absorbing energy under the broad range of environmental conditions an automotive interior is subjected to.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an energy absorbing instrument panel of plastic material.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an instrument panel which deforms elastically, absorbing energy and which does not recoil.